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| Shaping an Earthen Pot by Doranne Jacobson. |
In my sporadically ongoing chapter-by-chapter review of Art as Culture: An Introduction to the Anthropology of Art by Evelyn Payne Hatcher, I have arrived at Chapter Three: "How? The Technological Means." This chapter provides a survey of six traditionally indigenous visual art media: hide work, fiber work, carving, modeling, painting and metalwork. In addition, Hatcher includes two other categories: mixed media and stagecraft. Mixed media is simply the combining of multiple art media into one object, such as with ceremonial costumes. Stagecraft implies the combination of visual art with performance, which may include (but isn't limited to) costumes, dancing, lighting, sound, music, etc.
Hatcher also provides some commentary on the definition of craft, then surveys the production techniques of the six media, and lastly, discusses the effects of societal complexity vis-a-vis artistic specialization.
